Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has welcomed news that a contract to supply 600 London buses is to create 50 additional jobs in Antrim.

The Minister joined Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, on board one of the new buses after the official opening of a new Wrightbus chassis manufacturing plant in the Newpark Industrial Estate.

Arlene Foster said: “It’s good to see the Mayor of London coming back to Northern Ireland to meet the staff at Wrightbus, who are producing what is set to become an iconic London bus.

“The Transport for London order for 600 new buses has been hugely important. Not only has it secured and created jobs, it once again puts Northern Ireland manufacturing firmly on the global stage. Boris Johnson has described the new buses as a “world class piece of technology” and, naturally, I agree with him.

“I recently announced that, with support from Invest Northern Ireland, Wrightbus Ltd is investing almost £15million in research and development (R&D) and staff training. I have no doubt that the company’s continued focus on innovation will further bolster its position as a significant player in key national and international markets.”